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The Journey of a Thousand Miles
"The Journey of a Thousand Miles" is the first episode of Xiaolin Showdown. It was directed by Steven Lyons and written by the producers of the series, Bob Roth and Bill Motz. It originally aired in the United States on Kids WB on November 1, 2003. The episode follows Omi as he begins the quest to collect the powerful Shen Gong Wu. He must deal with the new recruits under Master Fung's tutelage at the Xiaolin Temple. On the first trip to find a Shen Gong Wu, they encounter Wuya and her new associate Jack Spicer, who are on a competing quest with the intention of world domination. This leads up to the very first Xiaolin Showdown, in which Jack is defeated by Omi after realizing that he too is a student and must learn from his new friends. Plot Fifteen hundred years ago, Xiaolin monk Grand Master Dashi fought the evil Heylin witch, Wuya, in a battle over the powerful Shen Gong Wu. Dashi defeated Wuya, imprisoning her within a wooden puzzle box so that she could no longer wreak havoc on the world. Dashi hid the Shen Gong Wu all over the world to prevent anyone from attaining such a power. Present day. Omi is one of the chosen, the Xiaolin Dragon of Water. Master Fung, Omi's teacher, enlists a new band of students to train with Omi. They are Raimundo Pedrosa, an acrobat from Brazil, Clay Bailey, a cowboy from Texas and Kimiko Tohomiko, a techno-savvy socialite from Japan. It is then revealed that the temple guardian, Dojo Kanojo Cho, protects the Ancient Scroll of the Shen Gong Wu in the event that evil returns. Meanwhile, evil boy genius, Jack Spicer receives a mysterious package from his father. Without a second thought, Jack opens the package to find an ancient puzzle box. Jack solves it quickly, sees a mask inside, and discards the box. The mask transforms into a ghostly figure, which introduces herself as the great Heylin witch Wuya. She asks Jack to aid her in restoring her power by finding the mystical Shen Gong Wu, promising him the world in return. This event causes the hidden artifacts to activate one by one, being detected only by Dojo and Wuya. The first revealed is the Mantis Flip Coin, which grants the user the jumping abilities of a praying mantis. Dojo enlarges himself to fly the young monks-in-training to San Francisco, where the Mantis Flip Coin is. Jack arrives first and claims the powerful item. Not knowing who Jack is, Omi humbly requests that the artifact be handed over for safekeeping. Jack unleashes his invention, the Jack-Bots, so he and Wuya may escape with their newly acquired prize. Even though Omi and the team fight off the Jack-Bots, they do not manage to stop Jack. Dojo immediately senses the next Shen Gong Wu, which the scroll reveals as the Two-Ton Tunic. This artifact is Dashi’s indestructible armor, deflecting any attack that may come its way. The team races to Venice, where the Two-Ton Tunic is hidden on a bridge. Even though Jack and Wuya arrive first and seize the Two-Ton Tunic, the young Xiaolin Warriors quickly trounce them and claim the mystical item. While wearing the Two-Ton Tunic, Omi accidentally releases its power, making it weigh two tons. The bridge breaks and everyone drops into the water. The monks learn that the next Shen Gong Wu activated is the Eye of Dashi, an amulet that shoots electricity. Dojo flies to the site as fast as possible, and they discover it immediately. Omi and Jack reach for it at the same moment and reach a stalemate. The Eye of Dashi begins to glow and Omi challenges Jack to a Xiaolin Showdown, which Dojo describes as the proper way of handling a stalemate. The challenge is a race across stone pillars. Omi wagers his Two-Ton Tunic against Jack’s Mantis Flip Coin. Using the Mantis Flip Coin, Jack takes a quick lead. Omi attempts to use the Two-Ton Tunic, which slows him down. Jack, feeling that Omi is not adequately humiliated, stops mid-match to have his Jack-Bots attack Omi. Omi quickly thrashes them using things he learned from Clay, Kimiko, and Raimundo. Omi reaches the end first and claims the three Shen Gong Wu. The young warriors return to the Xiaolin Temple, where Master Fung is patiently waiting. He reveals that Clay, Kimiko, and Raimundo are the Xiaolin Dragons of Earth, Fire, and Wind respectively. The foursome takes on the permanent job of protecting the world from the power-hungry Wuya and her new associate, Jack Spicer. Arc significance This episode introduces all the major characters in the main story arc. It reveals Omi's arrogance and perfectionism, which causes problems in future stories. There are also hints of Raimundo’s problems with authority, which actually leads to his betrayal of the Xiaolin Temple in "In the Flesh". "The Journey of a Thousand Miles" also establishes the rules for a one-on-one Xiaolin Showdown. The importance of the Shen Gong Wu, powerful enough to allow world domination, is demonstrated through the showdown. The Eye of Dashi is discovered in this episode, but is not used until "Like a Rock!". The Eye of Dashi is also the Shen Gong Wu used by Raimundo when he masters his powers as the Xiaolin Dragon of the Wind. Cast * Omi—Tara Strong * Kimiko Tohomiko—Grey DeLisle * Raimundo Pedrosa—Tom Kenny * Clay Bailey—Jeff Bennett * Dojo Kanojo Cho—Wayne Knight * Jack Spicer—Danny Cooksey * Wuya—Susan Silo * Master Fung—Rene Auberjonois Shen Gong Wu Mantis Flip Coin The Mantis Flip Coin is a fictional artifact that grants its holder super-human jumping powers. Jack Spicer discovers it in an alley in San Francisco during "The Journey of a Thousand Miles". There is a point in the series in which the Mantis Flip Coin is the Xiaolin's only remaining Shen Gong Wu after a robbery by the Heylin. Two-Ton Tunic The Two-Ton Tunic is a fictional artifact that protects its wearer from all physical attacks, but is very heavy. In "The Journey of a Thousand Miles", it is discovered in Venice and recovered by the Xiaolin monks. It is later used as the torso for Mala Mala Jong. Eye of Dashi The Eye of Dashi is a fictional artifact that allows its bearer to shoot lightning. It is found hanging from a tree in "The Journey of a Thousand Miles", and is won by Omi in a Xiaolin Showdown. Clay first uses it in "Like a Rock!". It is later stolen and used to make the warrior Mala Mala Jong. The Eye of Dashi can also be used with the elemental dragon powers, such as Raimundo's Wind technique, and Kimiko's Fire technique. Xiaolin Showdown References * External links * IMDb—Xiaolin Showdown * TV.com—Xiaolin Showdown